Title

Author

Date of Award

1-1-2012

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Department

Higher Education

First Advisor

Lyndsay Agans, Ph.D.

Keywords

Diversity, Diversity statements, Inclusivity, Mission statements

Abstract

The purpose of my study was to identify whether university Diversity Statements aid in maintaining or disrupting inequality in the university. Using critical discourse analysis, I analyzed an initial sample of eleven Diversity Statements to develop a list of common themes found within the diversity statements. Using a maximum variation method, I then reduced my sample to four universities to provide breadth of information for the final study (Miles & Huberman, 1994). In my case analysis, I first conducted an individual analysis of each of the four Diversity Statements using the common themes from my critical case analysis, common functions of the Diversity Statement, and potential limitations from my review of the literature (Doolittle, Horner, Bradley, Sugai, & Vincent, 2007; King & Cleland, 1978; Meacham & Gaff, 2006; Sevier, 2003). Next, for each of the universities I then compared the Mission Statement to the Diversity Statement, analyzed common university statistics, and evaluated website pictures. Last, I conducted a cross-case analysis to identify patterns and considered the implications of those patterns in my findings.

My analysis evidenced similarities across cases and provided insight to be applied in developing a framework for writing a Diversity Statement. Conclusions from my study suggest the Diversity Statement has the potential to be a powerful tool in disrupting inequality in the university. However, limiting factors decrease this ability. The recommendations suggest careful attention in preparing to write a Diversity Statement, appropriate content, and full dissemination of the Diversity Statement can increase the ability of the Diversity Statement to disrupt inequality in the university.